Improved mole-ditching machine



UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

ISAIAH HODGSON, OF NEW MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED MOLE-DITCHING MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,269, dated July 24,1860.

thereof, reference being had to the accompa? nying drawing, forming apart of this specilication.

The figure represents a side elevation of my improved machine inoperation, the same being shown with the revolving conical mole attached in rear of the shoe-for directing the movement of the machinethrough the ground.

This figure also shows (in red lines) the direction the shoe would taketoward the surface ofthe ground when set at the angle indicated.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawing, A represents a beam made of any suitable length andstrength, having two stay-plates, B B, secured near its rear end to bothtop and bottom surface and recessed into the beam, as clearly shown bythe drawing. Through this beam and through 'the stayplates passes astandard, C, the front edge of which is a knife-edge, thus making itserve as a colter. This colter passes perpendicularly through the beam,and is fixed to any desirable position by a key, a.

D is a shoe, made dat on its bottom end, somewhat in the shape ofawedge, with a portion, a', projecting out from behind, forming a heel,to which is attached a guide-screw, E. This shoe is pivoted to .thelower end of the colter G, so as to move freely on its point. Thescrew-rod E is placed behind the colter and extends up parallel with it,and is tapped through female screws in the plates B B, and furnishedwith a jack-nut, b, and a handle, c, which, by turning,.the heel of theshoe will be raised or depressed. This operation may be performed whilethe shoe is in the ground.

The jack or reverse nut b serves to set the screw-bar at any desiredpoint by preventing it from turning when the nut is brought down on theplate.

Following in rear of the shoe D is a revolving mole, G, that turns on ashaft, e, which shalt is attached by links g to the back end of l thecolter C. The mole G is secured to the shaft by a metal washer, d,andpin d. It is made conical, and its surface has projecting from itseveral spiral ribs, h, which gradually decrease in size from the largeto the small end. These spiral ribs, acting upon the earth as themachine proceeds, give a rotary motion to the niole, so that it willleave the walls of the channel in -a nice,smooth, and packed condition;but the drain thus made, owing to the compactness of its walls, wouldresist the ingress of the water; but in my improvement this difficultyis obviated.

In rear of the mole G and hanging down from the end of' the shaft e is atwopronged scraper, J, which loosens the vclay in the bottom ofthechannel, and thus allows the water a free passage into the drain.

From this description it Will be readily understood that the shoe can beset so as to sink it deeper into the ground or to entirely Withdraw itfrom the ground, and. by this adjustment a channel otan even grade maybeformed on uneven ground. The spiral ribs on the mole will entirelyclose up the opening made by the colter b'y virtue of their revolvingmotion, as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the scraper J and shaft e with the revolving mole Gand colter C, as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

ISAIAH HODGSON. Witnesses:

AARON CONNEE, I. MeINrosH.

